


Life Imitates Art

by JulianAlbertsCat (AdhdBarryAllen)



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Artist!Julian, Drabble, M/M, throws this into the void and runs away
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-07
Updated: 2017-02-07
Packaged: 2018-09-22 15:31:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9614282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdhdBarryAllen/pseuds/JulianAlbertsCat
Summary: Julian Albert has beautiful hands.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheRedThread](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRedThread/gifts).



Julian Albert had beautiful hands.  
It was a secret Barry prided himself on knowing. He often distracted himself gazing at those long fingers, curled around a test tube, the elegant flick of the wrist Julian gave as he swirled its contents.  
But what he noticed about Julian’s hands wasn’t the worry-bitten fingernails or the expensive wristwatch—a memento of his old life. It was the way they were never without color. Often they were grey with charcoal, but from time to time they varied, with a paint swatch on the back of his hand. The colors were a masterpiece in itself.

Occasionally, he would catch a glimpse of the callus between his index and middle finger, further proof that these were _artist’s_ hands. He could practically see Julian standing in front of a canvas, rotating a finely bristle brush between his fingers. 

Barry lamented the fact that Julian was so private about his art. The only reason he knew about it was because it was his job to observe (that, and Julian had a shock of dried blue paint in his hair). He could only hope that one day, Julian would feel close enough to Barry to share one of his works. He didn’t dare ask to see them; It felt like intruding on Julian’s privacy.  
One day, though, Julian finally brought his art to work. Barry watched from afar as Julian took out his chalk pastels and sketchpad. He wanted to speak up, to ask to see what Julian was creating, but was entranced by the way a single lock of Julian’s hair had fallen in his face as he poured his heart onto the paper. That in itself was art.  
It wasn’t until the next morning that he learned what Julian had been drawing.  
Waiting for him when he arrived was Julian’s art, straight out of his sketchbook. The spiral edging had been ripped off meticulously, and it was attached to his computer monitor with a blank sticky note. Barry removed the picture from the monitor and held it in his hands as if it were worth the world. To him, it was.  
He felt honored to glimpse a piece of Julian’s artwork. Julian had captured his likeliness almost perfectly, from his windswept hair to the freckle just under his eye. But the only thing that didn’t match was the eyes. This Barry’s eyes were joyful, full of love and with no hints of regret. Barry hadn’t looked that way in a long time. There was so much _feeling_ in what Julian had gifted him.  
“Julian, can I buy you a coffee?”

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally just on Tumblr but theredthread told me to post it sO!  
> Also this was low key inspired by Carboncillo y Café as well as Formalities, aka the other 2 fics with Artist!Julian. This headcanon is a gift.  
> Come say hi on [tungle!](http://adhd-barry-allen.tumblr.com)


End file.
